Brookings Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Brookings, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of Production of Child Pornography.

Keenan Chidaushe, age 25, was indicted on March 1, 2022.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 11, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 30 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that between November 8, 2021 and November 19, 2021, and on December 19, 2021, Chidaushe knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced two juvenile females to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depictions would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce, or mailed, and such visual depictions would be produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, including by computer. 

The charges are merely accusations and Chidaushe is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Brooking Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.   

Chidaushe was remanded to state custody pending trial, which has not been set.